“One hundred plus years ago, on April 18, 1900, my great-grandparents and kin, the Wells clan, arrived by 7 covered wagons at the abandoned Fort Bowie in southeast Arizona. They set up homesteads throughout Sulphur Springs Valley and freighted ore between mining towns, ran the Wells Brothers Overland Service, operated one of the Indian trading posts and quarried stone for the great old Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. My grandpa became a deputy sheriff in Tombstone and had numerous run-ins with horse thieves and rustlers. I enjoy painting anything to do with the west, past and present, but especially love illustrating the tales of pioneering adventures my family experienced.” Sheila’s painting Arizona, was juried into the Arizona Centennial Show.
Frank Tenney Johnson was her favorite “western” painter growing up and she was excited to discover the paintings of James Reynolds whose paintings obviously reflected an admiration of Johnson’s work too. Though she loved art from childhood and had studied at the University of Arizona and Scottsdale Artists School, she doesn’t consider her real painting education began until she asked Jim for help. After taking two of his week long workshops in 1983, their friendship developed into a personal one. Sheila and Jim were a couple for almost 30 years. A highlight of her painting life is a joint show with Jim at Claggett-Rey Gallery in 2005.

SHOWS EXHIBITED IN:
Mountain Oyster Club Shows [11 years]
Desert Caballeros Western Museum Cowgirl Up Shows [6 years]
Maynard Dixon Show
National Oil Painters of America Show,
Tucson Museum of Art
National Arts for the Parks
Pearce Western Art Museum
Arizona Desert Museum
Zelma Basha Salmeri Museum
National Western Coors Art Shows [3 years]
Western Artists of America Show
Settlers West Miniatures Shows
Empire Ranch Foundation Shows
PUBLICATIONS:
Western Art Collector Magazine – 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
True West Magazine – 2011
Southwest Art Magazine – 2007, 2008, 2011
Western Horseman - 2001, 2004
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS:
2013 People’s Choice Award – Cowgirl Up! Show
2011 Silver Oil – Pearce Western Art Museum – WAA Show
2008 Governors Choice Award - Desert Caballeros Western Museum
LECTURES:
2011 Navarro College – Corsicana, TX
2013 Desert Caballeros Museum – Wickenburg, AZ

Reach her through the Big Horn Galleries in Cody, WY and Tubac, AZ
Or at her website www.sheilacottrell.com.

SENT TO WAC FOR DEC ART OF THE COWBOY ISSUE:
BIOGRAPHY – SHEILA COTTRELL
“One hundred plus years ago, on April 18, 1900, my great-grandparents and kin, the Wells clan, arrived by 7 covered wagons at the abandoned Fort Bowie in southeast Arizona. They set up homesteads throughout Sulphur Springs Valley and freighted ore between mining towns, ran the Wells Brothers Overland Service, operated one of the Indian trading posts and quarried stone for the great old Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. My grandpa became a deputy sheriff in Tombstone and had numerous run-ins with horse thieves and rustlers. I enjoy painting anything to do with the west, past and present, but especially love illustrating the tales of pioneering adventures my family experienced.” Sheila’s painting Arizona, was juried into the Arizona Centennial Show.
Frank Tenney Johnson was her favorite “western” painter growing up and she was excited to discover the paintings of James Reynolds whose paintings obviously reflected an admiration of Johnson’s work too. Though she loved art from childhood and had studied at the University of Arizona and Scottsdale Artists School, she doesn’t consider her real painting education began until she asked Reynolds for help. He agreed and Sheila and Jim were a couple for almost 30 years. A career highlight was a joint show with Jim at Claggett-Rey Gallery in 2005.

SHOWS EXHIBITED IN:
Mountain Oyster Club Shows [11 years]
Desert Caballeros Western Museum Cowgirl Up Shows [6 years]
Maynard Dixon Show
National Oil Painters of America Show,
Tucson Museum of Art
National Arts for the Parks
Pearce Western Art Museum
Arizona Desert Museum
Zelma Basha Salmeri Museum
National Western Coors Art Shows [3 years]
Western Artists of America Show
Settlers West Miniatures Shows
Empire Ranch Foundation Shows
PUBLICATIONS:
Western Art Collector Magazine – 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012
True West Magazine – 2011
Southwest Art Magazine – 2007, 2008, 2011
Western Horseman - 2001, 2004
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS:
2013 People’s Choice Award – Cowgirl Up! Show
2011 Silver Oil – Pearce Western Art Museum – WAA Show
2008 Governors Choice Award - Desert Caballeros Western Museum
LECTURES:
2011 Navarro College – Corsicana, TX
2013 Desert Caballeros Museum – Wickenburg, AZ

Reach her through the Big Horn Galleries in Cody, WY and Tubac, AZ
Or at her website www.sheilacottrell.com.